Recently we held a workshop in Las Vegas and decided to check in with Jeff and Megan's Tumbleweed Linden build, called "Room To Spare Tiny House." Last summer, when we delivered their trailer, you might remember their difficulty maneuvering into their backyard build site. The retaining wall collapsed and the couple ended up maneuvering the trailer by hand. It worked!

Almost six months of construction, Jeff and Megan's build is nearing the halfway mark. "We originally thought it would take us about this long to finish the entire Tiny House RV," Jeff admitted.Currently they are sheathing and wrapping their Tiny House RV with Tyvek.

"Sometimes you can plan and plan and plan, but at a certain point, you need to just start building," Jeff shared. "At a certain point there is value in getting two pieces of wood attached to each other, instead of standing around and talking about it all day!"

For visual reference, above is a complete Tumbleweed Linden. Jeff and Megan have slightly modified the design to suit their needs and personal preferences. Notice, their door is located on the side rather than centered.

Megan Standing on her Sheathed Rear Roof

The couple was recently featured on the local news. Watch the video below to see the interior "Room to Spare" and learn about the growing interest in Tiny House RVs in Las Vegas!

The big question still hovers over Jeff and Megan's exit strategy (literally). How are they going to get their custom RV out of that backyard when it's fully built?

"We don’t think there’s any way we’re going back out the way we came in," Jeff and Megan explained that they have two options: 1). PUT IN A GATE THROUGH THE BACK WALL OF THE YARD AND EXIT THROUGH THE NEIGHBOR'S YARD, or 2). HIRE A CRANE.

The crane option might seem a little extreme, but the couple has quoted both options and the pricing is similar! So, why not crane it? It'll make for an amazing story, not to mention an incredible photo opportunity.

Wouldn't it be nice to travel anywhere with your Tiny House RV without worrying about "plugging-in?" Ariel McGlothin just purchased a Tumbleweed 24 Cypress, and she customized her Tiny House RV to be completely off-grid, even in the cold winter climate of mountainous Wyoming.

"The propane heater built into my RV does an excellent job of providing steady, even and comfortable heat," Ariel explains. "The only thing I would prefer comfort wise is a heated floor as my feet have always tended to be cold, but I chose not to go with that due the the power use and knowing that (my Tiny House RV) would be off-grid."

Ariel's lofted bedroom

Ariel chose the 24 foot Cypress model, and her layout was customized to have a large kitchen for cooking meals from scratch. Some other customizations include: converting her closet into a pantry, adding a double sink and creating a smaller custom shower stall in order to make her kitchen larger.

"I use my oven and all four burners," Ariel explains. "So it (the full range appliance) is absolutely worth the space for me."

The benefits of being off-grid include self-sustainability, a lower carbon footprint and reduced utility bills, but it's not for the faint of heart. "(Being off-grid) is a commitment." Ariel admits, "I don't mind that, but it does require more thought than being plugged into the grid somewhere. I just have to be mindful of things."

When it's sunny out, Ariel is able to provide the electricity for her Tiny Home RV with solar panels. On a cloudy day, she switches on the generator to recharge her batteries. "I take an extra minute in the morning to run up the bank behind my RV to dust the snow off the solar panels," Ariel explains. "I recharge camera batteries and my laptop, while the generator is running."

2). Propane Appliances

Ariel's heater, water heater, stove and oven are all powered by propane rather than electricity. "I need to monitor my propane tanks and fill them as each one gets empty so I'm not suddenly without heat," Ariel comments.

Ariel's Tiny House RV has a 26 gallon water tank hidden under the kitchen sink. She fills this weekly by hauling jugs of fresh water to her RV and pouring them into the exterior water inlet. The tank could also be filled using a garden hose, if she had one nearby, and if it wasn't frozen.

Consumption wise, Ariel uses about 140 gallons of water a month not including her showers that are usually taken at the gym. "It's been fun to measure my use of things." Ariel tells us. Because of this, she has become very conscious of her usage.

Ariel has a Nature's Head composting toilet, the fan favorite for manufactured composting toilets in the Tiny House RV world. She dumps her urine container about once a week. The "solids" compartment is rated for 90 uses before dumping.

"None of this is hard, it's just a commitment to extra regular chores that people typically do not have any experience with these days." - Ariel McGlothin

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For more details on Ariel's tiny house or off-grid living tips, check out her informative website here.

All photos provided by Ariel (who is an excellent photographer)! More of her work on her website.

In architecture, the roof shape of a structure will have a big impact on the overall design. Above you can see six basic roof shapes, but for the purposes of this concise article we are only going to discuss the following: 1). Gable Roof, 2). Gambrel Roof, 3). Hipped Roof, and 4). Flat Roof.

Remember there are advantages and disadvantages to every roof shape, but most importantly you should choose the shape that best fits the visual aesthetic of your entire Tiny House RV design.

When you ask a child to draw a house, what do they usually draw? Answer: A gable roof shape with two windows, a door and perhaps a chimney. The gable roof shape is classic, sophisticated and summons an emotional connection of "home".

Here is what the interior of a Tiny House RV with a gable roof looks like:

The gambrel roof shape is a staple for the traditional American "country home". As you travel through the rural areas of the United States, you will see many examples of the gambrel roof used on farmhouses and barns. You might also see this roof shape used in a few colonial residences around New England.

Here is what the interior of a Tiny House RV with a gambrel roof looks like:

The gambrel roof provides more interior ceiling space than the gable, while also providing a decent slope for snow and rain runoff. That being said, this roof shape is more difficult to construct and will be heavier than a traditional gable.

The hipped roof, seen here on a Tumbleweed Cypress, is our most popular Tiny House RV design. A visual charmer, hipped roof shapes can be seen all over the country in residential architecture. The design resonates will many home owners, which has lead to its overwhelming popularity.

Here is what the interior of a Tiny House RV with a hipped roof looks like:

The hipped roof, as seen above in the small loft above the door, slants inward but still provides ample space for storage or a display.

The term "flat roof" is a bit of a misnomer. This roof shape is not completely flat, but actuality has a slight slant for rain runoff. Flat roofs are an ancient form of architecture, but the design is still used all over the world today. For example, most green roofs (roofs used for growing vegetation) are flat roofs.

Here is what the interior of a Tiny House RV with a hipped roof looks like:

So which of these roof shapes would you choose for your Tiny House RV? Comment below!

Let’s do a fun spacial exercise to help you design the interior layout of your Tiny House RV. WARNING: MATH IS REQUIRED!

Consider your Tiny House RV as a pie chart. Your space could (and maybe should) be divided based on the amount of usage each room receives per day. Rooms common in most Tiny House RV’s are the: 1). Bedroom, 2). Bathroom, 3). Great Room, 4). Kitchen 5). Storage / Closet.

Here is an example.

First of all, as a Tiny House RV owner, let’s assume you’ll be spending time outdoors, exploring or perhaps at work. For this example, we’ll be subtracting 8 hours from your 24 hour day as time spent outside your RV on a daily basis. The below percentages were calculated from the remaining 16 hours you’ll be spending inside your Tiny House RV.

Bedroom. Let’s say you spend 8 hours a day in your bedroom. That would average 50% of your interior usage.

Bathroom. Let’s say you take a 10 minute shower every day. For easy math, let’s also say that your primping and other bathroom visits might take up another 50 minutes of the day. That’s 1 hour total or 6.25% of your interior usage.

Great Room (or Living Room / Dining Room combination). Let’s assume you spend on average about 4 hours in your great room. This space will encompass all lounging and dining. Of course, if you work from home, this number will increase as we can assume your office will be part of this space as well. 4 hours = 25% of your interior usage.

Kitchen. Let’s say you love to cook and will be preparing most of your meals in your Tiny House RV. On average, let’s estimate your cooking and clean up for three meals per day can take approximately 2 hours each day, or about 12.5%.

Storage Closet. The major variable here will be the space (probably divided in multiple closets) you’ll be using to store your belongings. Let’s assume this space, when combined, is equivalent to the size of your bathroom space: 6.25%.

If you look at this data, you can begin to divide your space based on usage in a pie graph. Now think about each of those slices as the approximate size of each room based on your usage. Do you really want half of your house to be a bedroom? How much space do you need to sleep? Maybe you can size that down and redistribute that space to another room. Another option is to consider a murphy bed or lofted bedroom. The loft, such as in the Elm, Cypress or Linden, is NOT included in the total square footage. This is why many Tiny House RVs have a lofted bedroom.

So let's consider a Cypress 24, which has 172 square feet of interior living space, NOT including the lofted bedroom. If you eliminate the bedroom, and redo your calculations based on the remaining 8 hours of interior space usage (because in your 24 hour day we assume you'll be in the lofted bedroom for 8 hours and outside for 8 hours), your chart looks something like this:

Now we can divide up the 172 square feet of the Cypress 24 to calculate the spacial usage of each room.

Bathroom: 12.5% / 21.5 square feet

Great Room: 50% / 86 square feet

Kitchen: 25% / 43 square feet

Storage Closet: 12.5% / 21.5 square feet

*Not included in 172 square feet: Lofted bedroom

Now the fun part starts! Once you have your approximate room square footages, based on your daily usage, you can begin to draw your layout or manipulate one of our standard layouts. Get creative! Can you move some of you storage into the loft? Can you add a murphy bed that would combine your great room with your bedroom? Do you have room for an office or small downstairs bedroom? Perhaps you’ll learn something about yourself and your space!

Check out our standard layouts, and decide which Tiny House RV design works best for you, based on this exercise!

I've been traveling around in my tiny house RV for six months now. I'm very comfortable inside the small space, but that doesn't mean there weren't a few challenges along the way. Once or twice I’ve cried out in frustration, “it’s too small!” Other times I’ve been thankful for having less space to clean and maintain, and for the freedom it has provided.

Below are FIVE unexpected lessons my tiny house RV has taught me in the past six months:

1). I CARE MORE ABOUT CONSUMPTION

I know how much water I use on a daily basis- approximately 15 gallons when I take navy showers. I know how often I need to dump the urine container on my composting toilet - every 3 days. I know how much propane I use per month - about 15 pounds. I have to physically empty my grey water tank, fill my fresh water tank, refill my propane tanks, dump my toilet, etc.

I take navy showers and use the Nature's Head to conserve water and propane.

Measuring my consumption in physical labor has made me more conscious of my waste. There’s a HUGE difference between seeing decimals and graphs on your monthly bill and having to physically refill your tanks. I use less. I waste less. I save more money.

2). I THINK BEFORE I PURCHASE

I have nightmares about clutter. In a tiny traveling house, clutter can mean the difference between owning three mugs or four. I don’t shop often, but when I do I have to know: 1). What purpose will the new item serve? 2). Can it replace something else and/or increase the functionality of my daily life? 3). Where will it be stored? If I can’t answer those three questions, I DON'T NEED IT!

I try to keep my kitchen counters empty. Everything tucks away and has a place.

3). I APPRECIATE THE IMPERFECTIONS

As I travel around, I've had the opportunity to tour many other tiny house RVs. Sometimes I swoon over a great space saving idea or an innovative layout. I call it "tiny-envy." I have to remind myself that my partner and I had zero construction experience before building our tiny abode. It's not perfect, but my house is still pretty darn cool. And it's mine! When we were building I was so meticulous about everything. If something wasn't perfect, I wanted to redo it. Now those imperfections that once made me cringe, don’t bother me at all. In fact, I kind of like them! Each nick, scratch and hole was a lesson and a memory.

4). "IF YOU BUILD IT, YOU WILL FILL IT"

This is sound advice from my friend and fellow tiny house RVer - Art Cormier. Guillaume and I recently modified our staircase to have a few extra storage compartments. And now they're full! Uh oh…the clutter monster is knocking at our door! We’re going to have to think twice before adding any new shelving or storage spaces in the future. If there's no place to put new stuff, I don't need it! (See lesson #2).

My kitchen cabinet. I own three mugs, two cups, two wine glasses and a bunch of spices. It's full!

5). I'M LESS NEEDY

Perhaps my partner would argue, but I'm going to make an assumption that I'm less needy now than I've ever been before. I have less, but I want and need less as well. When I think about all the stuff I used to own and purchase, I feel overwhelmed. This small space has challenged me to unburden myself. I like the new care-free me!

Just for fun, here are a few more ways my life has changed from traveling in a tiny house RV:

I clean less. I shop less. I cook more. I consume less. I primp less. I dress better. I eat better. I sleep more. I read more. I watch TV less. I drive less. I play with my dog more. I hike more. I go to the gym less. I travel WAY more.